Hulk Hogan, the flamboyant showman who helped turn professional wrestling into a global entertainment business, died Thursday at age 71 after suffering cardiac arrest at his Clearwater Beach, Florida, home, local police said. World Wrestling Entertainment confirmed the death, calling him “one of pop culture’s most recognisable figures.” Clearwater Police said officers and paramedics were dispatched at 9:51 a.m. for a cardiac emergency. Hogan—born Terry Gene Bollea—was treated on site and taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 11 a.m. Authorities said they found no signs of foul play. A six-time WWE world champion and twice-inducted Hall of Famer, Hogan headlined the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985, drew a record 33 million U.S. television viewers for a 1988 clash with André the Giant and later revitalised World Championship Wrestling as the leader of the New World Order. His “Hulkamania” persona, yellow bandanas and shirt-ripping theatrics helped propel WWE from a regional circuit to a multibillion-dollar company. Beyond the ring, Hogan appeared in films such as “Rocky III,” fronted the VH1 reality show “Hogan Knows Best” and remained a fixture on the celebrity and political circuit, notably endorsing Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. His career weathered setbacks—including a 2015 suspension over a videotaped racist rant—before WWE reinstated him and re-inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2020. Hogan had undergone neck surgery in May and was said by his wife, Sky Daily Bollea, to be recovering well. He is survived by her and by two children, Brooke and Nick. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.